Water-motor



(-No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. BROWN.

WATER MOTOR.

No; 408,075. Patented July so, 1889.

W W13? WESSES viiiorney r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. BROWN.

WATER MOTOR.

40 K1 Patented July 80, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEZEKIAH BROIVN, OF BROIVNSVILLE, KANSAS.

WATER-M OTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,075, dated July 30,1889.

Application filed April 6, 1889. Serial No. 306,193. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HEZEKIAH BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brownsville, in the county of Chautauqua and State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inIVatenMotors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus for utilizing the force of currentsand streams for'operating an undershot wheel fixed upon a floating frameor boat; and it consists of certain improvements in such a wheel, incombination with said float and adjustable wings, as hereinafterdescribed, whereby the power so obtained can be used to actuate anysuitable mechanism that maybe connected therewith.

Hy invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1. is a plan. view; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section; Fig. 3,afront view, partly in section; and Fig. 4, a detail.

Referring to the drawings, A is a frame or float in which the wheel B ismounted.

The open head of the float, designed to face the current, is providedwith wires or rods 0, arranged at suitable distances apart to preventthe entrance of logs or other obstructions to the wheel, and with asliding gate D to shut off the current when it is desired to stop thewheel. The slot 25, through which the gate is passed, is cut on a bevel,so as to hold the gate in an inclined direction against the current, andwhereby the gate is made adjustable at any height to regulate the speedof the wheel. The force of the current pressing against the gate willalso aid in holding the gate at the desired position.

F F are current boards or sweeps hinged to the sides of the head of thefloat. The sides of the float at that point are beveled inwardly, asshown at a a, to permit the sweeps to swing inwardly across the front ofthefloat. The sweeps are each provided with an attachment G, which areadapted to receive cords or ropes, by which the same can be held in anydesired position by securing the ropes to the shore. As shown, theseattachments G are made of wire bent into aloop g at their ends toreceive the cord, rope, or chain; but

it is apparent, of course, that other forms of attachment may beadopted.

The sweeps can be brought together in front, or one sweep be placedacross the current to stop the access of the same to the wheel.

The sweeps are also so hinged that they can be swung back against thesides of the float to let logs or other debris be carried by.

The wheel B consists of a double casing H H.

H is an inner water-tight cylinder formed by having its solid headsjoined to the outer casing H at a distance inside the outer casing.Between the heads of the outer casing H and the heads of the innercasing spaces or chambers I I are formed at each end of the wheel.

L L are the floats of the wheel hinged to the outer casing H at m. Theyare flat, and when closed lie flat against the wheel. They are connectedto rods P. The rods I, s'ecured at one end to the float, are passedthrough slots 0 in the outer casing H, and then into a chamber I, and atthat end simply turned so as to engage with the wall of the chamber andto prevent them from falling out. It will be seen that these rods arefree to move through the slots 0 when the floats fall, which the latterdo by gravity as the wheel revolves.

R is a cover by which the top of the wheel is protected and waterprevented from flowing onto the wheel when the same is sub merged orpartly submerged.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is The wheel 13,consisting of a double casing H H, the latter forming an inner air-tightcylinder, with chambers I at the ends of the wheel formed between theheads of the inner and outer casing and the floats, said outer casingprovided with slots 0, the freelymoving rods 1, extending into saidchambers and to which the floats are secured, 'in combination with aframe to support the same, substantially, as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HEZEKIAH BROWN. \kVitnesses:

DANIEL S. MEADO S, EMMETT A. BROWN.

